Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to baked confections having a given shape and size and having incorporated therein one or more edible particles and being of a crisp texture when eaten and to an improved process for the preparation thereof.
The preparation of such baked confections, generally known as pulseconfections, or those made by coating leguminous seeds, such as peanuts, green peas or the like, with a syrup in combination with rice flour, wheat flour, starches or a mixture thereof and subsequently roasting or frying the coated particles, is well known. The so-called "ONOR OKEMAME", a Japanese conventional pulse snack, is a typical example of such baked pulse confections. pulse confections,
In the above process for the preparation of pulse confections, leguminous seeds or the like are coated several times with a syrup and cereal flour and/or starches, one after another, in a coating device, such as a revolving pan. Subsequently, the coated leguminous seeds are either directly roasted with a burner attached to the coating device, or they are roasted in a basket drum roaster with a burner or fried after being taken from the coating device and are dried separately. In either case, puffing is done naturally, and therefore it is impossible to satisfactorily control the outside shape of the final products during the puffing. Consequently, the post-puffing condition and the degree of rupture and cracking of the coating layer lack uniformity, and it is thus quite difficult and requires the long experience of a skilled person to properly attain the desired coating layer having a texture and hardness matched with those of the seeds or nuts which serve as the centers of the final baked confectionary products.
It is known in the art to enclose such an edible item in a dough product and bake the same. Turitz (U.S. Pat. No. 3,787,588) describes such a method. However, it is difficult and troublesome to wrap small edible items with such a thin dough shell, and at the same time it is not easy to wrap these items without leaving such strain and unevenness in thickness as to cause uneven expansion when fried or baked.
Baking in a closed mold consisting of upper and lower matching units is also known in the art. To bake wafers, or corn cups, such a closed mold is used. However, batter with low viscosity and with moisture of about 58 to 65% is used to spread and reach all the corners of the mold.
Such dough as mixed and kneaded in the mixer cannot be successfully baked in this closed mold so as to obtain a uniformly expanded final product.